The province of New Brunswick said it will observe the National Day of Mourning for the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 19.
“This one-time provincial and national holiday is intended to honour the Queen and pay respect to her life of service to Canada and to the Commonwealth of Nations on the day of her funeral,” the province said in a release Tuesday afternoon.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier in the day that Sept. 19 would be a federal holiday, and said discussions are underway with the provinces, which make their own decisions about whether to grant provincial holidays in tandem with federal ones.
According to the release, government offices and schools in New Brunswick will be closed Monday to observe the National Day of Mourning.
As well, the province said the day will be treated as any other holiday for management and non-union employees in Parts I, II and III of the provincial public service, which includes central government departments and agencies, as well as anglophone and francophone public school systems.
The province said while government offices and public schools will be closed, the holiday will be optional for private sector businesses and employers.
Since it is designated a federal holiday, it will be a holiday for federal government employees, but it will not automatically apply to workers in federally regulated industries such as banks and airlines.
The release noted that members of the public can sign a book of condolences at Government House or at the legislative assembly, which will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sunday. People can also sign an online book of condolences.
The national holiday will coincide with the queen’s funeral in London, U.K. Sept. 19 will be a bank holiday in the U.K.
Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have also announced they will observe the National Day of Mourning.
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